By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
No fewer than 200 Ghanaians have requested to voluntarily return to their country of origin from South Africa owing to xenophobic attacks by South Africans on foreigners. This was revealed by Benjamin Quashie, the High Commissioner of Ghana in South Africa.
Earlier, the Government of Nigeria had undertaken to repatriate Nigerians who wished to return from South Africa to Nigeria over xenophobic attacks. In Nigeria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Ojukwu also summoned the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria. Also, the Nigerian Senate had deliberated on concerns about the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, given the rising attacks on foreigners.
Ghana’s recent plans to repatriate its own citizens only add to the growing concern about what is happening in South Africa, where the businesses and lives of foreigners are threatened by a horde of armed attackers and looters demanding that foreigners exit their country.
The Government of Ghana has assured that it will cover travel costs, travel documents, and transportation costs for those without passports. Earlier this month, Emmanuel Asamoah, a Ghanaian, was helped by the government to return to Ghana, and his interview on his experience in South Africa, as the xenophobic attacks continue to mount, has spurred the Government of Ghana to move its citizens who desire to leave South Africa.
